A Forest Bridge in Oregon

The Detroit Ranger District Headquarters, in 1997-1998 was an office area and a group of shops, separated by a creek.  There was a road with a concrete ford and a dry ford with a plank, but pp the creek, was evidence of higher water events that would shut down each crossing.  Boulders were distributed in lobes, suggesting that the creek could flood very strongly.  My son, Jonathan, was looking for a Boy Scout Eagle Project site where he could do something to "make a difference".  I showed him the site.

The U.S. Forest Service does not do construction work "by halves", so there was paperwork and time involved to approach the problem.  Jonathan went through the steps and the Willamette National Forest Bridge Design Engineer and the Detroit District Hydrologist signed off on the design after visiting the intended crossing.  USFS Fire Department people aided the design work and assisted with technical expertise.  Vince Grace felled the tree for the log bridge and another fireman, tugged the log into position on the levees with the district fire truck and a very thick rope.

The bridge was to have a single handrail and man-made abutments, like a bridge that was later built by the USFS on Fall Creek.

Perhaps, Jonathan's bridge was further inspiration for the bridge at Fall Creek.  The sketch follows:

The bridge spanned the two "natural" levees of the stream.  The levees were overgrown with large trees.  The selected tree laid a few tens of feet east of the final bridge site.  Vince felled it into a small nest of criss-crossed smaller trees to lighten the fall, so that the log didn't crack.  Then, the fire engine tugged it into position. This bridge was a little more complicated than the USFS field crew bridge of 2006 at Fall Creek, because the abutments for this bridge were sand and rock-filled wooden cribs. Each end was leveled separately. The next steps were cutting the flat top and setting the supports. The log had a slight bow, due to its weight. The west support (left) would help prolong the life of the bridge.  Before the handrail was installed, the log was peeled of its bark. This picture is from March of 1999.  Jonathan is standing on the bridge.  Vince Grace is standing in the channel, building rocks around the east support.

The last act was a corrugated steel deck as a foot tread.  This was added later.  The bridge lasted until between 2010 and 2011, when the handrail became too rotten for continued use.  By that time, the bridge had served the Ranger District for 12 years.  It remains in position, today, the log crossing ready for a new handrail.  It could be replaced by a nice steel bridge, such is the need for reliable access to the Shops from the Offices.

A last note:  The bridge was in use during storms when it may have been the only access to the Shops from the Office without driving on Route 22.  It provided a nice walk along the footpath toward the dorms for summer interns and visitors.  I like to think that the bridge was a good contribution by Jonathan to the Ranger District scene.